Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1960, Beatriz Milhazes is known for her colorful collages and paintings that fuse Brazilian cultural imagery with Modernist tendencies. To the artist, process is paramount: “At the end of the day, technique is very important in the context of my work,” she has stated. “Because of it I can have a lot of super‐position” (Interview with Beatriz Milhazes, RES Art World/World Art, No. 2 May 2008). To create the graphic interplay of elements within her pieces, Milhazes first applies paint to translucent plastic sheets, which she then uses to transfer shapes onto canvas, one on top of another, effecting a layered, print-like aesthetic and allowing for the interplay of diverse forms. Milhazes draws inspiration and energy from music—specifically opera, Classical music, and Brazilian pop—to compose vibrantly-hued symphonies of stripes, lines, circles, and rays. Commenting on the loud, multifaceted nature of her works, she notes, “I need to have all these elements and put them together. They are in some sort of a conflict that will never really end up anywhere. There are not peaceful surfaces. There should be some struggle on the surface and then create some activities for your eyes” (ibid.). Her bold, explosive pieces abound with strength and life, drawing comparisons to the works of the early 20th-century masters Matisse, Kandinsky, and Delaunay. Milhazes represented Brazil at the 2003 Venice Biennale, and her work can be found in the collections of renowned institutional collections including those of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Pérez Art Museum, and the Centre Pompidou.
